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Published: April 27th 2007
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Canyon Swing
Where's ya bin? The trip to Queenstown was very exciting. A few clipboards were passed around the bus. The forms had a space to write your name, a space to write your next of kin* and a list of lethal activities. I took the pen in my hand and instantly felt a slight jolt of fear of what I was doing. Fortunately it wasn't fear that I had felt, the driver had passed around a pen that gave electric shocks - haha, he was a funny man. So I was signed up and was ready to go.
Canyon Swing stats (XR=8) - 109m up, 60m freefall, 200m swing arc down a canyon.
As soon as we got to Q'town Alex and I headed off for the Canyon Swing. A short but very dangerous canyon drive later we were there. "Ok, it looks safe enough, as long as that idiot who was driving our car wasn't involved". The guy who drove our car then put on a jumper and harness and made his way out to the deck. Oh god help. Before he walked out though he had enough time to write our weight on our hand. This is very important I
thought. I looked down and he had drawn a snowman on my hand. Right!
Out on the deck things got even more stupid. Alex was strapped to a chair and pushed off backwards, immediately after being yanked back in for a split second with the "jumpmaster" saying the "that's not connected properly". Luckily it was. Alex returned in one piece. Now my turn. I stepped up and said I hadn't decided how I wanted to jump. I told them they could choose - ERROR! The guy says "you're going to jump backwards with your hands behind your back" - "ok" (that sounds pretty lame i thought) - then the other guy comes up behind me and puts a bin on my head and down to my waist. Err?! So I was pushed backwards down a 109m canyon with a bin on my head. Yes I know what you're thinking, and yes, the bin
was green :-) The video on my camera is a classic, hopefully I'll get 250 quid for it when I get back.
The next day.....
The Nevis stats (XR=10) - 134m high jump pod suspended over a massive canyon, 8 second freefall, second bounce
Sheep Shearing
"Short back & sides for ewe sir?" <--- JOKE bigger than the 47m Kuwarau Bridge Bungy, must pull rope on second bounce otherwise you get winched up upside down resulting in a heavy nosebleed!!
This went far too quickly for my liking. Off the bus and on with the harness (1 minute). Get weighed (for the second time on that day!!) and walk out to a viewing deck (luckily I had my weight "80" written on my hand, there was no sign of a snowman) (3 minutes). Bungy man - "Ok, who has over 80kg on their hand?". I look around at all the midgets and no-one raises an arm. I pipe up - "Erm.....I have 80" - "Right, get in the pod". What?!
Get in pod and transfer to main central pod (5 minutes). "Ok, jump up there for me mate". I jump up onto a glass shelf and look down. Shouldn't have looked down. It's a long way. It
is a long way. While I was thinking the man has attached two "things" to my ankles. (7 minutes). Bungy man looks at a list - "Right. Rob?" - (I'm hoping there was another Rob in the pod of 4 people; I know all of them, I know all their names, none of them are called Rob) "Err...me?" - "Yes. Come in here mate". I sit in a little chair with my legs up and watch a guy clip a bit of bungy rope to my harness. "Don't forget to pull the rope at the top of the second bounce" - "Ok?!?!" (8 minutes).
"Right buddy. Just step forward slowly" - I make my way to the small step 20cm by 30cm protruding from the pod, walking a lot like a penguin. "Ok. You're ready. Arms out. 1,2,3 JUMP". I do as I'm told, I jump. Unbelievable. Trust me.
(Video evidence of both available on return to the UK)
The next few days were a welcome break. We headed to the deep south of NZ on the Bottom Bus. The 3 nights away allowed us to hydrate and catch up on some sleep. We got a bit more time to stop off during the day too due to the smaller bus and did a good bit of nature spotting. You name something that likes cold climates and we saw it, seals, whales, dolphins, penguins (yes Shoko!! We saw 2!!) (all XR=2). I sheard a sheep (XR=4) and then got charged by a seal (XR=5) <---- it was an angry seal. We saw the fastest Indian Motorbike (it's in a film) and had a peaceful day in Milford Sound (although geographically speaking it's not a "sound" it's a "fiord" as a sound is an unglaciated area flooded by the sea - geek geek snort snort).
The east coast was far more relaxed as we headed to the north and Alex's flight home. A brief stop in Kaikora allowed us to sample seafood chowder and whitebait fritters with our driver Smooch (great lad). In Wellington, an excellent meal and night out was the perfect send off as "we" became "I" (I know - awwwww). Alex left and I got a haircut (XR=3) - it was in the back of a Post Office!! Rotorua was good fun. I am now a Zorbnaut after going Zorbing (basically, a human who has experienced the hamster sensation of rolling down a hill in a ball - although I think the RSPCA would complain if you put 3 hamters plus water in the same ball.) The Rotorua Mauri evening was superb and provided me with the second best** feed I've had since I got to NZ.
I'm currently in Auckland and head to the Bay of Islands for a few days tomorrow. I hope the weather drys up a little.
*This is a joke. There was no section for next of kin. Just thought I'd scare the parents a bit. To be honest, everytime you do an activity in NZ you sign a form saying you can't sue if it goes wrong. I bet that scares the parents more.
**If you ever go to Queenstown you MUST have a Fergburger. I had 3. The are not just burgers, they are a way of life!
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